Like fine wines, genetic resources from the world’s most biologically diverse countries may soon get their own certificates of origin. Experts meeting in Lima, Peru, last month recommended a certification system to keep individuals or companies from freely patenting genetic material without compensating the source country. The recommendation will be presented in October at the next meeting of a committee negotiating an international framework for access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). That committee’s task is to find ways to reduce the loss of biological diversity by 2010 and ensure more equitable distribution of the benefits of the use of genetic resources. “The certificate would be issued by national authorities in the countries that provide the... [Log in to read more]